The Vindication of Hermione Granger
by DaronwyK
Summary: To repay a debt, Severus Snape decides to put an end to Rita Skeeter's vendetta against Hermione Granger. **Complete**
1. Addressing the Issue

**A/N:** This piece is dedicated to the lovely ladies of the Slytherin Team, from the House Points competition. You know who you are! Silver & Green Forever.

Standard disclaimer, Harry Potter & his universe sadly do not belong to me. I only borrow them from time to time.

o.o.O.o.o

Flick. Whoosh. Yet another edition of the Daily Prophet turned to ash under the practiced hand of one Severus Tobias Snape. The gossip rag masquerading as a newspaper had once again printed an article ascribing deeds to the 'heroic' Ronald Weasley that he knew for a fact had been perpetrated by Hermione Granger. Indeed, to read the Prophet you'd wonder what Miss Granger had actually done during the war, other than hang adoringly off Weasley's arm. He had no idea why Rita seemed to have such an urge to destroy Miss Granger's character, but to him it was blatantly obvious. Whenever the Prophet did run anything about the female member of the Golden Trio, it was to report that she was involved in some scandalous affair or another. It had even accused the new Minister of Magic of only giving her an Order of Merlin because he was sleeping with her. Disgusting.

Said newspaper had also been hounding him for an interview, and those requests were met with increasingly creative refusals. Last week he'd been unavailable for comment because he was simply too busy alphabetizing his storeroom. A tiny, dark smile crossed his lips as he returned to the problem at hand. One of the few benefits to being the former Head of Slytherin was that there was a whole host of graduates that owed him favours. Three of his former students worked at the prophet, and one was a very up and coming young reporter. A reporter that happened to be the editor's nephew. He'd sent an owl for Thomas to come and visit today. He had a proposition for him.

At the arranged for time, a portkey dropped young Thomas Aberdeen at the bottom of his garden. Severus inclined his head politely. "Thomas, so glad you could make it."

"Anything for you, Professor." The young wizard smiled brightly. "Your letter had me intrigued."

"Come inside, and we'll talk everything over," Severus said and turned, heading back up to the cottage he'd taken up residence in. It had belonged to his grandmother, and met his needs adequately enough. A full tea was set up for them, and he invited the young wizard to sit.

"I am prepared to grant you, and only you, an interview about my role in the war," Severus opened with a wicked little grin.

"And in return?" Thomas wisely asked. His eyebrows rose as a thick packet of parchment was dropped in front of him.

"You run a story based off that first. Convince your uncle that it would be greatly in his favour to alter the narrative they've been indulging as of late, and I will give you a story that will curl his toes," he said.

The thick folder was bound with cord, and Thomas unwound it. He saw pages written in his former Professor's spikey script, and he suppressed a shudder. He still had nightmares about the essays he'd gotten back from the man covered in that very handwriting. A few paragraphs in, he stopped and met Severus' eyes. "Why?"

"A debt owed. I'll deal with Rita myself, you simply need to get your uncle on board. You may wish to hint to him that it would be unwise to continue a vendetta against such an accomplished witch as Miss Granger, she did after all face down Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov and live to tell the tale." He sipped his tea, watching the younger wizard across from him pale as the implications sank in.

"Give me a few days to talk to my uncle, I'm sure he'll see the sense in accepting your offer," Thomas said.

"I also expect to review the article before you print it," he fairly purred, enjoying toying with the reporter. Indulging in this side of his personality was a rare treat, and he was already anticipating his confrontation with Rita.

"Of course." He said, finishing his tea. "I should go, and get to work on this. Thank you Professor, it's been good to see you."

"I will await your owl, Mr. Aberdeen." He released him with a nod.

o.o.O.o.o

Severus waited patiently in the shadows of Rita Skeeter's flat, mentally remarking that for such a controversial writer her wards were truly laughable. He supposed that she relied on blackmail to protect herself from her truly dangerous targets, and relied on the general good nature of the others. It was a fatal flaw. Rita had been several years ahead of him at school, and he remembered a great deal about her. She was ambitious, to be certain, but had lacked finesse. It had always left her at a disadvantage when playing the little games that were so prevalent in the Slytherin dungeons. A sliver of light fell across the room as Rita entered the flat, a bag of groceries on her hip.

It was almost too easy. He flicked his wand and caught her in a full body bind. "Too careless Rita…" he sneered, slipping from the shadows and stalking across the room to loom over her helpless body. "I think it's time we had a little chat." He found her wand and pocketed it, before releasing her.

"How dare you!" she snarled and got up, straightening her suit and leveling a furious glare at him. "I could call the Aurors!"

"You could…but I think we both know that when it came time to levy punishment for crimes, you'd come out the worse for it." He gestured for her to sit.

"You can't prove anything Snape." She hissed and sat down.

"You'll find that should I have sufficient motivation, Rita, the proof could be easily manufactured. I know enough about you from your school days alone to bury you, don't ever forget that." Severus sat down across from her, making a show of leaning back and cross his legs. "Now, why don't you tell me about this obsessive need of yours to defame Hermione Granger? Whatever did the Gryffindor Princess do to you?"

Rita's eyes fairly snapped with fury. "That little bitch had the NERVE to keep me in a JAR for months! ME!" she bit out, rage twisting her features.

"And therein lies her mistake; she should never have let you out. I know I wouldn't," Severus' voice was deceptively mild. "After the filth you printed about her that year, you're eternally lucky that's all she did. Did you know your trash prompted grown witches all over Britain to send that poor fifteen year old girl hate mail, one of the letters was full of undiluted bubotuber puss, and she burned her hands on it. But you've never cared for the fallout from your fabrications, have you Rita? Never taken responsibility for the lives you destroy, so long as it helps your precious career."

Rita swallowed, shifting nervously in her chair.

"Your vendetta against the girl ends tonight, or I promise that you'll learn what it feels like to be at the receiving end of public discontent, with every sordid detail of your life splashed in full colour across the pages of the Prophet. The difference will be that none of it will be untrue. Where should I start, mmm? Perhaps with how you cheated on your NEWTs?"

"Come now Severus…you wouldn't…." She paled. "There's no way to prove it."

"That's the funny thing about the written word, isn't it? You can twist the facts any which way to make something appear true. It wouldn't take much. The illegal use of Liquid Luck is only the tip of the ice burg, and we both know it. Your hands are far from clean Rita, and the number of people you're blackmailing would only be too happy to help me in destroying you." He stood and fixed her with a hard look. "Leave her be Rita, this is the only warning I will give you. Find a new target for your vitriol, or better yet try writing about something real." He tossed her wand over to her. "Now, you're going to swear a wand oath. So….repeat after me."

Rita wanted to hex that smug expression off his face, but managed to reign her fury in. "Very well."

"Swear upon your magic to never write or speak ill of Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, or Severus Snape again." He prompted her.

"You bastard…" She repeated the oath from between ground teeth. "I swear, on my magic, to never write or speak ill of Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, or Severus Snape again. So mote it be," she all but hissed it out. In response to her oath, the tip of her wand flared and sealed the magic.

"Have a pleasant evening Miss Skeeter." Severus drawled and sauntered out her door, chuckling to himself as he heard the sound of breaking china. Temper tantrums in a grown witch were just so undignified.


	2. Truth in Reporting

o.o.O.o.o

Hermione pulled her hood up as she hurried down Diagon Alley. A light misty rain was falling, and she was glad of the water repelling charm that she'd layered on this cloak. At least it gave her the excuse to hide under her hood, she was so tired of the constant stares and whispers. Rita Skeeter had been on another one of her tears this month, and it had finally given her the impetus to cancel her subscription to the Prophet. She was staying with Harry over breaks, and he'd extended the offer for her to stay after she finished her Newts in June. Whether or not she was going to accept his offer was something that had been weighing on her mind.

She slipped into the Apothecary, having sent in an owl order just before the Easter break. Preparing for her NEWT potions practical had eaten through most of her own supplies. She lowered her hood and walked up to the counter. "Order for Granger?" she said pleasantly.

"Miss Granger! Yes, I have your order right here." Old Mr. Jiggers placed a neatly wrapped parcel on the table. "So pleased to see the truth finally coming out about you, I never believed the filth they were printing," he said conversationally.

"Truth?" She blinked, looking completely confused.

"Didn't you see the Prophet this morning?" he asked.

"No…I didn't. What did they print this time?" There was an air of resignation to her voice as she waited to hear what new horrible thing she'd done.

"One moment…I have a copy in the back room." He went and retrieved it. "You can keep it, if you like."

The newspaper he laid down on the counter had a massive headline across the front. **The Vindication of Hermione Granger!** There was a picture of her from the ceremony where she'd received her Order of Merlin, the first one she'd ever seen in print that just showed her, a small smile on her lips as she had the green ribbon pinned to her robes. She tore her eyes away.

"Thank you Mr. Jiggers, how much do I owe you for the order?" she asked.

"Nothing my dear, I insist," he said warmly.

She frowned a little but thanked him, and left the store quickly. Preoccupied with what must have been in the article, Hermione headed to the Centaur Café meaning to grab a quick lunch and read the paper. If she knew what was in the Article, it would be easier to deal with. Mentally she began preparing for a whole new host of howlers and unpleasant surprises. As she was taken to a private booth by a widely smiling waitress, Hermione felt the back of her neck itch able to feel dozens of eyes on her. She slipped back into the farthest corner of the booth, hiding from as many of the other patrons as she could. The waitress took her order and hurried off, and only then did Hermione shake out the paper.

 **The Vindication of Hermione Granger!**

 **The True Story of the Brightest Witch of the Age**

 **After years of reading stories about the female part of the Golden Trio, like many others I thought I knew who Hermione Granger really was. The sad truth is that this publication owes a great apology to her, and all of our readers. It was recently brought to our attention that a certain reporter had been skewing facts to fit her own bias regarding Miss Granger. So today it is my duty, and pleasure, to tell the real story. While I have not spoken to Miss Granger directly, it is my hope that after reading this she will be willing to share her own insights and experiences. Throughout today's paper you will find accounts of Miss Granger from her teachers, friends, and comrades in arms….**

As Hermione continued to read, her eyes filled with tears as she read comments from her Professors, members of Dumbledore's Army, and even students she'd never have counted amongst her friends. There was even a very touching piece from Draco Malfoy, who credited his exoneration entirely to her passionate defence of him at the trial. He admitted that through the years he'd been unbelievably cruel to her, but she'd had the strength of character to look past his many failings and stand up for what was right regardless of her personal feelings. The entire issue was dedicated to dispelling Skeeter's lies, and by the time she put it down there were actual tears falling down her cheeks.

"Excuse me, Miss Granger?" A soft voice came from the edge of her booth. "You look like you could use this." A handkerchief was being offered to her, from the elegant hand of Narcissa Malfoy.

Accepting it gratefully, Hermione dried her tears. "Thank you Lady Malfoy, won't you join me?" she offered.

"As long as it's not an imposition," the beautiful witch said and sat down across from her. "It's always refreshing to see the truth come to light. Your quiet perseverance is a credit to you, though you should never have been subjected to such vile fabrications."

"Rita Skeeter and I have an unfortunate history, I'm afraid." Hermione rolled her eyes a little. "I'll have to thank Draco for his kind words, I know it couldn't have been easy for him."

"On the contrary, he was most happy to help restore your reputation. I don't know who twisted the Prophet's arm into printing this edition, but they deserve an Order of Merlin. I haven't seen such good reporting in years." Narcissa ordered tea from the waitress as she came over, delivering Hermione's lunch.

"Whoever they are, I owe them." She said, sipping her tea.

"I imagine it's someone who felt they owed you a debt of some kind. Without doubt they will reveal their identity in due course." Narcissa grinned. "Will you be attending the Ministry ball next month?" The Ministry was sponsoring a massive gala to celebrate the one year anniversary of Voldemort's defeat.

"I honestly had been planning to skip it, but I should make an appearance." Hermione added when she saw the disapproving look cross the older witch's face. Narcissa had been hard at work in the last year, working to repair her family's tainted reputation. Lucius had been released on a type of wizarding parole, along with others who had been able to prove they'd taken the Dark Mark under duress, but he had been very much out of sight. Draco had returned to Hogwarts along with a handful of others who wished to complete their Newts, and she'd developed an odd kind of friendship with him. Harry and Ron were off working for the Auror's office now, and without them she'd been rather lonely.

"Stop in to Twilfitt and Tattings before you head home today, and let him take your measurements. You will need the perfect gown for the night," Narcissa advised. "If you require an escort, send me and owl and I'll see what I can do about finding the right person for you."

"While I appreciate the offer, I'm sure I'll be able to find someone to go with," Hermione reassured her. It was doubtlessly a political play for Narcissa to be so openly solicitous of her, but with the loss her parents it was nice to have an older woman to turn to for advice.

"Just be certain it's the right someone. After your rather public split from Mr. Weasley, this event is all the more crucial for you," Narcissa counselled her.

"I'll give it careful consideration, I promise." A smile crossed her lips, the first real one she'd had in what felt like forever.


	3. Making a Splash

o.o.O.o.o

"I have to be out of my mind…," Hermione mused as she finished getting ready. All of the students that were of age had been given special permission to attend the Ministry Gala, and the Headmistress was allowing them to Floo to the Ministry Atrium from her office. Hermione was meeting her escort there, and the mere thought of who it was made a strange little smile curve up her lips.

As one of the 'guests of honour' Hermione was departing a little bit before the main herd of students. She knocked lightly at the door to the Headmistress' office, and she entered at the cheerful greeting.

"Hermione dear…you look lovely." Minerva smiled softly, looking at her favourite cub.

"You don't think it's too much?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

Minerva took a moment to truly appraise Hermione's gown. It was a deep emerald green that seemed to bring out the subtle gold flecks in her eyes. The corseted top accentuated her figure, but it did not display any more than the barest hint of cleavage. From the dropped waist, the skirt flared out, delicate embroidery with black crystals caught the light. Her hair was swept up into an elegant French twist and overall, she looked quite mature. "While I would never admit this to anyone else, you look most becoming in that colour, Miss Granger. Who is your mystery escort? You've been most tight-lipped about his identity."

Hermione just smiled. "You'll see." Amusement glittered in her eyes, looking forward to stunning more than one person tonight. "I'll see you later Headmistress," she said and used the floo, stepping out in the Atrium of the Ministry. A subtle movement of her wand, banished any trace of ash from her dress. Everyone was gathering by the entrance to the ballroom, but her eyes cast around looking for her date.

"Miss Granger, you look exquisite." Severus' smooth voice came from behind her as he stepped out of the shadows. He looked impressive in his dress robes, they were black of course, but his cravat was a deep, emerald green silk, clearly meant to compliment her gown. Narcissa must have known…

"Please, after everything…call me Hermione." She managed to find her voice after an age of gawking at him like some star-struck fan girl. Retirement seemed to be agreeing with him, a flush of health in his cheeks and some of the lines of stress had melted away from his eyes. He looked…younger.

With a practiced move, Severus took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. "Very well, then you may call me Severus." He tucked her arm into his and together they headed towards the group.

"I still don't know how you got Skeeter to back down, and I'm fairly certain I don't want to know." She laughed as they crossed the marble floor. When he'd sent her an owl a week ago, she'd been humbled to read about his manoeuvering to bring the Prophet to heel.

"Likely not, the important thing is that she will never write such filth about you again. I believe she's chosen Mr. Weasley as her new target, and most deservedly so." The amusement was evident in Severus' tone. That dark sense of humour was only enhance as he noted Potter turning to watch them in horrified disbelief. It really was the little things that made life worth living.

"Hermione?" Harry gasped.

"Hello Harry, you're looking well," she said and smiled at Ginny.

"I love your dress Hermione," Ginny said with a smirk. Her brother was late, as always, and when he got here the shit was going to hit the fan.

"Thanks Gin, you look great too." She said. Her friend was looking rather stunning herself in a gold, strapless ball gown.

"Severus, nice of you to look after our girl," Kingsley said, flashing his winning smile at them.

"Hermione was kind enough to accept my invitation," Severus said smoothly. "It's such a delightful change to have an intelligent companion for the evening."

Hermione smiled, about to reply when a screech echoed across the Atrium.

"Get your greasy bloody hands off her!" Ron fairly bellowed across the open space, and it was suddenly so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Severus grinned, and then very deliberately leaned over and brushed a kiss over her temple. "From what I can tell, the witch doesn't seem to have any problem with my hands on her," he goaded the now purple-faced wizard shamelessly.

Predictably, Ron went for his wand only to have it snatched out of his hand by no less than three well-timed shouts of ' _Expelliamus!'_ Severus, Harry, and Hermione all had their wands out. However it was Hermione who snatched his wand out of the air and rounded on the now disarmed wizard.

"Let's get something straight right now Ronald Weasley." She poked him in the chest with the tip of his own wand, blue sparks light off her hair. "I will go where I please, with whom I please, whenever the bloody hell I please! You lost the right to have anything to say about my personal life about the same time I caught you with your hand up Lavender Brown's skirt back in August. I would have thought my hurling my engagement ring at your head would have been clue enough, but you've always been a little thick. Let me spell it out for you, I am not YOURS, I have never been YOURS, and I will not EVER BE YOURS!" She threw his wand in his face and turned her back on him. There was not a sound from anyone in the Atrium as she made her way back to Severus, slipped her arm through his, and smiled brilliantly up at him. "Shall we all go in now?" she asked sweetly.

As a unit the whole group, minus a suitably chastened Weasley, made their way into the ballroom and up to the balcony that had been reserved for their use that evening. It would allow them a reprieve from the general crush of people if they needed it. Severus grabbed two flutes of champagne and offered one to Hermione.

"To finally coming to your senses." He smirked.

"That did feel immensely satisfying." She found herself mirroring his expression.

"I wonder if you've ever considered a career in teaching, I hear Hogwarts will be in need of a new Potions Master or Mistress soon…" True wickedness lit up Severus' eyes, and they laughed together at the thought of her taking his place as the terrifying bat of the dungeons. Strangely enough, he could think of no greater compliment than inferring, even indirectly, that he considered her a worthy replacement. The future was bright for Miss Granger, and he hoped to enjoy watching her soar high above all her peers.

~Fin~


End file.
